This invention relates generally to containers for beverages and more particularly concerns disposable containers for storing and mixing drink ingredients with water or other liquids and the straws used for dispensing the mixed beverage from the container to the consumer.
There are a variety of known disposable containers for carrying beverages in liquid form for consumption directly from the container. Some use straws, stored either inside or outside the container. There are also collapsible containers for carrying ingredients in a solid or concentrated liquid to be mixed with water or other liquids at the time of consumption. There are several problems and inconveniences inherent in the configuration of these known disposable and collapsible containers.
The disposable containers store the beverage in a liquid, ready-to-drink state. Consequently, the container takes on the full weight and volume of the ready-to-drink beverage whether or not the consumer is ready to drink. This weight and volume may not pose a significant disadvantage if only one container is being transported but, for example, to a hiker or soldier on an extended trip with no source of flavored or fortified drinks along the way, the weight and volume of multiple containers becomes a burden. Furthermore, known disposable containers generally cannot be resealed and have no suitable access for adding liquid.
Those disposable containers which require straws do not have straw-to-container accesses which satisfactorily minimize leakage during use. Those which do not require straws have drink dispensing ports which are not satisfactory in terms of spillage of beverage during drinking or which would make satisfactory collapse of the container difficult if not impossible.
The collapsible containers for drink ingredients are generally intended for repeated use and are not intended to be disposable after a single use. While they are collapsible to some extent, they do not collapse sufficiently to make it feasible to carry many of them at the same time. Since they are reusable, they are generally made of too expensive and heavy materials and of too complex structural configuration for one-time-only use.
The straws commonly in use for extracting beverages from collapsible and disposable beverage containers are supplied external to the container and are easily lost. They are inserted into the container by puncturing a hole through the container wall at a specific location near or at the top of the container, and therefore, require a sharp point on one end, an undesirable feature especially for children. The containers are difficult to transport without leakage if the beverage in the container is only partially consumed, generally requiring that the collapsible beverage container stay in an upright position and not be compressed. This problem is all the more compelling if the container is used by a very active person such as a biker, hiker or soldier.
Known telescoping straws do not provide for sealing the bottom end of the straw to prevent the entrance of liquid when the fully- or partially-filled beverage container is transported with the straw in place. Known telescoping straws do not provide adequate seals against flow of liquid between the inner and outer tubular straw members.
Caps are not supplied with the straws commonly used with collapsible and disposable beverage containers and, when they are supplied they do not adequately seal the container for transport with the straw in place.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which collapses to a substantially flat condition. Another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which stores beverage ingredients in a solid or condensed liquid state. Still another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container into which the consumer can add water or other liquids at the time of consumption. It is also an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container in which stored ingredients can be mixed with water or other liquids at the time of consumption. A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container from which the consumer can drink directly without a straw. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which includes a straw. Another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which has a leakage resistant straw-to-container access. Still another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which has a spillage resistant filling port. It is also an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which has a filling port which can be resealed. A further object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container with a straw that can be closed. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which is simply and inexpensively constructed. And it is an object of this invention to provide a disposable beverage ingredients container which may be resealable for future use.
Another object of this invention is to provide a straw which can be incorporated as an integral part of a collapsible or disposable beverage container. Still another object of this invention is to provide a straw which does not require a sharp point on one end. It is also an object of this invention to provide a straw that establishes a seal between the straw and the beverage container wall. A further object of this invention is to provide a telescoping straw which seals against liquid entrance or exit on both ends of the straw when it is in a collapsed condition. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a telescoping straw which effectively seals against flow of liquid between the inner and outer tubular straw members. Another object of this invention is to provide a telescoping straw which cannot be extended beyond a predetermined limit. Still another object of this invention is to provide a telescoping straw equipped with a cap which fully encloses the top of the straw. And it is an object of this invention to provide a telescoping straw equipped with a cap provides multiple seals to prevent the escape of liquid.